Fansided

Islanders: Three reasons to be hopeful for playoff run

By Michel Anderson |
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 14: Anthony Beauvillier #18 of the New York Islanders juggles the puck during warm-ups prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on March 14, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 14: Anthony Beauvillier #18 of the New York Islanders juggles the puck during warm-ups prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on March 14, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
3 of 4
Next
The New York Islanders celebrate a 6-1 victory over the New York Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The New York Islanders celebrate a 6-1 victory over the New York Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The playoffs are almost here and the New York Islanders are in terrible form. But what can we look forward to as they head to the postseason?

The New York Islanders will soon begin their quest for a Stanley Cup. But fans aren’t feeling too good about their team’s chances as they head to the post-season. And it’s easy to see why.

Since beating the New York Rangers with back-to-back shutouts, the Islanders have picked up just a single point over three games against two of the worst teams in the division and in the NHL.

Add back-to-back-to-back loses to the Washington Capitals before those Rangers shutouts and the Islandesr have six points from a possible 16, a 0.375 points percentage. The Sabres, who are the worst team in the NHL, hold a 0.336 points percentage this season.

So the Islanders are currently on a run-of-form that closely resembles the Sabres 2021 season. Again, it’s easy to see why Islanders fans are worried about their team heading into the post-season.

BUT! Rather than fan the flames of panic, I thought we could look at some positives right now and talk ourselves off the ledge a little.

Here are three reasons (plus one more) that should give you some positivity going into the playoffs.

I hope.

New York Islanders left wing Anthony Beauvillier (18) celebrates with the Islanders bench. (Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports)
New York Islanders left wing Anthony Beauvillier (18) celebrates with the Islanders bench. (Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports) /

Anthony Beauvillier

Since April 20, Beauvillier has picked up seven goals. Only Aleksander Barkov, Jeff Carter, Kirill Kaprizov, and Sam Reinhart have more goals than Beau in that stretch. They all have eight. That’s just one more than Beauvillier.

When Beau is at his best, the Islanders typically do well. We all saw that in the post-season last year.

Beau co-led the Islanders in goals with nine (Brock Nelson also had nine goals). With Beau firing on all cylinders in the playoffs the Islanders were able to dispatch the Panthers, Capitals, and Flyers.

Anthony Beauvillier fell quiet in the Tampa series where the Islanders lost the series in six games.

Having Beau at his peak form with the playoffs only a week or so away is great news for the Islanders. Sure, they need other players to start matching Beau’s form. Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jordan Eberle, and Kyle Palmieri all need to start doing more offensively. But the fact that Beauvillier is shinning is something for the Islanders to build off of.

Keeping Beau with Nelson and Bailey on the team’s second line needs to continue into the playoffs. Again, Nelson might not be playing well at the moment but with Beau as the spark-plug and with the playoffs official started, Brock should get back to his regular ways.

Having one of the Islanders top-six lines going is all they need to start turning things around.

Adam Pelech #3 and Ryan Pulock #6 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Adam Pelech #3 and Ryan Pulock #6 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Top Pair

The Islanders might have issues giving up more goals than they score right now, but that’s no fault of the team’s top pair of Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech. The Islander’s top two defensemen have been absolutely dominant this season.

Over the 2021 season, Ryan Pulock has the fifth-lowest goals against at 5on5 for D-men who’ve played at least 900 minutes. That’s a list of top-end defensemen (46 of them in total) from around the league and Ryan Pulockis at the very top. Adam Pelech is 14th.

Pulock is elite of the elites in terms of controlling play and keeping the puck up out of dangerous areas and from the back of his net.

Over the Islanders recent stretch of games (starting with that Washington series), the Isles top pair has held a 61.68 CF%, a 66.99 SCF%, a 54.54 HDCF%, and a 62.39 xGF%. Everything they’ve done of late has been exceptional. Unfortunately, they (and the rest of the team) can’t find the back of the net.

They won’t get any nods for the Norris Trophy, but they’ve been exceptional all year long. They don’t put up points like Cale Makar, or Adam Fox, but defensively they are the best pair in the NHL, there’s no debate, there’s no question.

If there’s one thing we know about the playoffs it’s that defense wins championships, and the Islanders hold the single best defensive pair in the NHL, bar none. I know the Islanders aren’t winning right now, but they have one of the most vital elements to win a championship already.

(All advanced stats from NaturalStatTrick.)

New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz (Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)
New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz (Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports) /

Done it Before

Experience counts for a lot when it comes to the playoffs. Since 2018-19 only four teams have more playoff experience than the Islanders. Only one of those teams are in the East and that’s the Boston Bruins.

The way this division is shaping, the Islanders won’t have to face the Bruins until the second round. Assuming they get past the first round of course.

Which is something they’ve done twice over the last two years.

And this isn’t the first time the Islanders essentially limp their way into the postseason.

In 2018-19 the Islanders went a full 0.500 (7-7-0) with a -8 goal differential in the month of April before a Winnipeg Jets away game. That 5-4 win over the Jets, fueled by three goals in the final 12 minutes (two from Jordan Eberle) that totally turned their season around.

They made it to the second round that year.

In 2019-20, if not for a pandemic the Islanders weren’t headed towards a playoff position. Over the last 14 games, the Isles went 3-7-4 with a -13 goal differential.

They went to the Eastern Conference Finals that season.

Look, the run their on right now isn’t good, but if Barry isn’t too worried nor should we.

BEARDS

We all know that guys like Kyle Palmieri and Nick Leddy draw all of their power from their beards. The fact that they can’t grow one in the regular season is ridiculous. But, in the playoffs, all rules are off when it comes to facial hair.

That means, the second the final whistle goes on May 10th, the razors go in the trash can for the summer.

I know this is a silly reason, but at this point, I think we’ll all back some silly superstitious thing like beards if it means the Islanders will get back to playing Islander hockey again.

Next
Home / Editorials